IT’S AS EASY AS 1 2 3 !
Printed using recycled newsprint
1. Log onto wilegion.org and click on “Renew Online” 2. Enter your name and member ID number 3. Pay with MasterCard, Visa or Discover That’s it! You’re done. You will receive your new membership card in the mail. No more renewal notices. No more stamps.
December 3, 2015 • Vol. 92, No. 10 “For God & Country”
Badger &“Wisconsin”
www.wilegion.org
Official Publications of The Wisconsin American Legion Family
The mission of The American Legion, Department of Wisconsin is to provide service to veterans, their families and their communities.
SAVE $5 – RENEW BEFORE DECEMBER 31ST
Renewing your 2016 membership online saves you from having to write a check, using a stamp and envelope, mailing your renewal and then waiting for snail mail to deliver your renewal to your Post. Instead, your online renewal gets processed immediately by National headquarters. Simply visit the Department website at www.wilegion.org and click on “Renew now for the 2016 Membership Year” under “Department News”. You will need a credit card and your Membership ID number, which appears on the mailing label of this newspaper. When you renew online, you update your own American Legion information, pay your dues by debit or credit card and you’re done. A receipt and temporary membership card is provided which you can print. Your Post gets the updated renewal information online from National headquarters via mylegion.org the very next day. All
your Post has left to do is sign and mail your new permanent 2016 card to you! Department, and then your Post, will each receive their portion of your dues forwarded from National headquarters by mail. Your member information is kept updated on mylegion.org. If you renew the old fashioned way (by mailing your check to your Post), it starts a tedious paperwork process. Someone at your Post has to open your envelope, check your name and address for accuracy, update your membership information and status in the Post database, enter your check in a bank deposit, fill out the necessary parts of the Membership Record for transmittal to Department and National, add your information to a Department Transmittal form and mail the Membership record and Transmittal form to Department headquarters along with a Post check for Department and National dues. Your Post then has to mail your card to you and go to the bank and deposit
In Memoriam
Robert Zukowski of Thorp, a Korean era veteran, was elected Commander of The American Legion, Department of Wisconsin at the 1989 Department Convention in Appleton. A member of Cecil-Tormey Post No. 118 in Thorp, he joined The American Legion in 1958 and had been active at Post, County, District and Department levels since becoming a member. A Past Department Vice Commander, he had served on many Department Committees and was serving on the Department Finance Committee at the time of his election to Department Commander. He was also a member of the Sons
checks. This process can literally take up to 20 minutes per member compared to just a few minutes handling an online renewal. And your renewal will not be effectively recorded at National headquarters for weeks. For Posts with hundreds of members that is a HUGE difference. Of course your Post can still process your renewal if you mail in your check. But renewing online is safe and secure. Even if you don’t have access to a computer you can ask your Post to renew online for you using their computer. With a debit card or credit card it can be accomplished in person at the Post or even over the phone. Renew online at www.wilegion.org. It is simple, safe, fast, secure and efficient. What’s not to like? If you have questions or concerns regarding online renewal, please contact Chris Schmidt at Department headquarters by calling (608) 745-1090 or email her at chris@wilegion.org.
ROBERT K. ZUKOWSKI Department Commander 1989 – 1990
of The American Legion, qualifying as his father had been a WWI veteran, and served as National Executive Committeeman from 1992 – 2000. He was extremely active in his community, having served as a member of the Clark County Veterans Service Commission for over 17 years, Thorp Area School Board, Clark County Board, Clark County Holstein Association, Wisconsin Holstein Association and Thorp Polish Heritage Day committee to name a few. He served as President, Chairman and Secretary of the various organizations in which he participated. He had also been elected to the Wisconsin State Legislature
from the 69th District, serving from 1992 to 1998. After retiring as a dairy farmer, Zukowski began working for Beatrice Cheese as well as Raber’s Foods and LaGrander’s Hillside Dairy. He re-retired at the age of 75, noting that his biggest pet peeve was when a person is asked to help and says, “I don’t have the time.” Commander Zukowski is survived by his wife of 61 years, Dolores, their four children, six grandchildren and six great grandchildren.